


In Your Dreams

by MyShipWillNeverSink



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Co-workers, Dreamsharing, F/M, Fluff, Fred Weasley Lives, It's pretty cheesy, POV Draco Malfoy, Post-Hogwarts, Sort Of, Strictly Dramione's Valentine's Day Fic Exchange, like a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyShipWillNeverSink/pseuds/MyShipWillNeverSink
Summary: When Draco agreed to test a new product for Fred and George before Valentine's Day, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. But it just might change his life.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 29
Kudos: 214
Collections: Strictly Dramione Valentine’s Day Fic Exchange Fest





	In Your Dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HollyBrianne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyBrianne/gifts).



> This was written for Strictly Dramione's Valentine's Day fic exchange! My assigned person to write for was HollyBrianne, and her four word prompt was "can't say no" and "dream." 
> 
> This is unbeta'd, because I did not give myself enough time to find a beta. Hope this is at least an entertaining bit of fluff!
> 
> This fic was translated into Russian by AgriAgripina! You can find that here: https://ficbook.net/readfic/9846001

There was a light in one of the florescent’s above Draco’s desk that was flickering, on the brink of going out. It was driving him absolutely mad.

He’d called to have it fixed twice now, and there it was: flickering. Mocking him. As if his day wasn’t already terrible.

Working in the Auror’s office file room wasn’t his first choice. In fact, it hadn’t even been on his list of things he’d liked to have done after the war ended. But it’s where they stuck him, disgraced and penniless after he’d finished his seventh year at Hogwarts following the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Saying the name in his head didn’t even make him cringe now. He had bitter memories and leftover mental anguish he should probably talk to a professional about, but likely never would. That certainly wasn’t his concern at the moment; it was that fucking light.

Draco put the file he’d been sorting back in the cabinet and slammed the door shut. Closing his eyes, he rolled his head back and forth on his shoulders, trying to loosen up the tension he’d been feeling ever since he could remember. No such luck.

He strolled out into the corridor, intent on walking off some of his pent up frustration. If anything, it made him feel worse. It had been four years since Voldemort’s defeat and three years since he’d finished his official probationary period when they’d effectively considered him “reformed.” None of that mattered, as people still avoided him like the plague. The hallways cleared suspiciously as he walked, and he opted for the stairs to avoid people plastering themselves to the walls of the lift if he joined them.

Draco had almost made it back to his office, feeling worse than ever, when someone called his name.

“Malfoy! I’m sorry for the onslaught today - we found a treasure trove of dark magic in a neighborhood of houses to the east,” Harry Potter said, approaching Draco with a sheepish look.

This was probably the only good thing about his reformation - somehow, in the years he’d worked under him, Draco had gained Potter’s trust. And, in a weird way, an amicable coworker relationship.

“Maybe don’t do all the paperwork at once next time. Be a proper Auror and wait so long you might as well not document anything.” Draco smirked.

Potter ignored that comment, shaking his head exasperatedly. “Let me make it up to you somehow. I’m going to the Leaky after work with a couple of other people. You should join us.”

Draco tried to remember the last time he’d been invited to do anything with anyone besides Theo. Merlin, it had been ages. And the look on everyone’s faces when they saw the ex-Death Eater sitting with The Boy Who Lived?

It would be positively scandalous.

“Alright, I’ll bite. I’ll be there around 6.”

__

The perks of being on a friendly basis with Potter at work included being amicable with Fred and George Weasley. After he grew up and stopped being a twat, Draco realized that the two were absolute geniuses. Their joke shop business was booming post-war, and Draco enjoyed walking around the shop to marvel at what would have been damn entertaining when he was in school.

So he was actually pleased to see the two sitting at the table with Potter when he arrived at the bar. Also seated at the table were Ginny Potter and Hermione Granger, the latter of which was looking anxiously at Fred.

He just caught the end of Fred saying, “...promise this won’t involve vomit or transfiguration.”

“Who’s transfiguring vomit?” he said, right eyebrow raised. Granger looked at him in surprise, Ginny smiled tightly at him, and Harry pulled out the seat between him and George.

“Just the man we were waiting for!” George said, clapping Draco on the back as he sat down. “How would you like to be a part of an absolutely 100% safe experiment involving nothing dangerous or unknown whatsoever?”

“Can’t say no to that reassuring offer,” Draco said dryly. “What would that entail?”

Draco noticed Fred glance at Granger before saying, “We need two people to test a product for us before Valentine’s Day next week. You’d just stop by the shop, pick it up, use it, and stop by the floo the next day to let us know how it went.”

Draco looked at Granger. Of course she was the only one who had volunteered. She’d always been fearless. She still intimidated him now, though they never interacted at work. Ever since that punch third year, he had a healthy amount of fear for her as well. He’d never admit it, though. Draco smiled slightly. “I take it Granger is the other volunteer?” He looked around the table, amused. “And none of the other fearless Gryffindors wanted to join her?”

Potter smirked at him. “Scared, Malfoy?”

“You wish. You’re on, Weasley.”

__

Three drinks and a lot of laughter later, Draco was walking to Weasley’s Wizard Whizbees with Granger and the twins. Granger was quiet, but she’d always been quiet around him since the war ended. They’d both opted to go back to Hogwarts for their seventh year to finish their education, but hadn’t interacted much at all.

If Draco was being honest with himself (which he tried to do as little as possible these days), he harbored a lot of guilt for the way he’d treated her when he was a brainwashed child. Unfortunately, four years was just too long to let something fester to expect an apology to sound sincere. He felt that that ship had long sailed.

They got their vials of potion from the twins, with instructions to take it right before they went to sleep and to come back tomorrow with a report of how it went. They didn’t give much more information than that. Draco didn’t know what to expect, but he assumed it would involve dream sharing of some capacity.

Glancing sideways at Granger, he internally groaned. This was going to be incredibly awkward if she didn’t say a word to him the whole time.

They reached the door and Draco held it open for her as they made their exit onto the dimly lit street. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to break the discomfort, but she beat him to it.

“Well, I’d better be getting home. Good luck on your end, Malfoy,” Granger said, smiling weakly. He stared at her and forgot to say “bye” until she’d already turned her back and apparated. Draco stared at the spot she disappeared for a few moments, wondering where the fuck his brain had gone. This day had been so different from the last countless dull ones that he didn’t know how to process it.

“Merlin, mate,” a voice said from the doorway to the joke shop. Draco spun around and saw George standing there, an incredulous look on his face.

“What?” Draco snapped.

George shook his head. “If you don’t know, I’m not going to be the one to break it to you.” He turned around and closed the door, flipping the sign from “open” to “closed.”

Draco apparated back to his flat, trying not to analyze the nervousness he felt for when he went to sleep. And, of course, he pointedly ignored the thoughts nagging at him to decipher what the hell George had been saying back at the shop. He really didn’t need the added stress.

__

The room Draco woke up in - fell asleep in? - was a dimly lit sitting room, complete with two leather sofas, a fireplace, and a wall of books. At the end of one of the couches was a mini bar stocked with firewhiskey.

He was slumped on one of the leather couches, still dressed in the silk pajamas he’d worn to sleep. Draco rubbed the grogginess from his eyes and stood up to make a fire. It felt weird; like he knew he was dreaming, but he could feel the goosebumps from the chill in the room and hear the ticking of an old grandfather clock in the corner - things dreams normally didn’t allow.

The fire had just started warming the room and Draco was considering getting up to grab a book when there was a faint *pop!* and Granger appeared on the sofa across from him, head lolling on her shoulders. She was dressed in a modest night shirt and pajama shorts that showed off long, slender legs. Draco stared a moment too long at her before clearing his throat. Her head shot up and she looked around frantically.

“Oh! You startled me,” she said, blinking rapidly as she looked about the room. Her eyes finally came to rest on him and he stared resolutely back. Draco could not bear the thought that they would just grab a book each and sit this out in silence. Despite this, he was not willing to be the first one to speak.

Granger looked around the room and the tips of her lips curved into a smile. “I wasn’t expecting the dream to look like this.”

“What were you expecting?”

“When it comes to Fred and George,” she said, huffing a laugh, “anything is possible. This room could have been a sex dungeon for all I knew.”

Draco nearly blanched at the sound of prudish, bookworm Hermione Granger uttering the word “sex.” Then again, they were adults now. She likely wasn’t a prude, given that she pondered the possibility that she could be stuck in a sex dungeon with him and still agreed to take the potion. He was willing to blame the fact that he was technically dreaming on the fact that that thought caused a fluttering deep in his stomach.

“I imagine they might have curated the potion specifically for the two of us. Or for any two strangers to test it out. They said it was made to order, after all,” Draco said, trying his hardest not to stare at her ass as she got up to browse the books. He found himself glancing over at the firewhiskey and wondering when would be an acceptable moment to pour himself a glass.

Granger hummed and clasped her hands behind her back while staring at the large bookshelf. She grabbed a book off the shelf, flipped idly through the pages, and said nonchalantly, “So how do you like working in the Auror office?”

Merlin, small talk? This was unbearable. “It’s fine. If you enjoy pouring bleach into your eyes and sitting on fire pokers.”

Granger laughed and put the book back. “If it’s that bad, why don’t you do something else?”

“I don’t want to do anything else. I’m hoping to prove myself and eventually become an auror.” Draco glanced at her and found her looking astonished, probably because she didn’t expect him to disclose that much about himself. “Would you like some firewhiskey?” Draco got up and decided now was as good a time as any. He was surprised when she nodded, but poured her a glass nonetheless. They took back their respective seats on the couch and sipped in what Draco felt was a tense silence.

When his glass was nearly empty, he could take it no longer. “Why did you agree to this?”

Granger looked like she’d been waiting for this conversation. She swirled the whiskey in her glass and pursed her lips like she was really contemplating her answer. Finally, she replied, “Harry trusts you. If he trusts you, I have no reason not to.”

“Sure you do. I was an absolute twat to you for six years.”

“You were a twat to Harry, too.”

“I’ve called you unforgivable names.”

“I’ve punched you in the face.”

“Damn it, Granger, that’s not the same!” Draco stood up and turned quickly away from her to refill his drink. He felt vulnerable, in a way he hadn’t felt in years. His life had become completely dull: go to work, go home, sleep, maybe drink sometimes, and that was it. He hadn’t allowed himself to consider that people he’d been cruel to, people he’d hurt, could possibly forgive him and be comfortable around him. Draco had been utterly alone for three years, and he didn’t know what to do with a woman he hadn’t spoken to in years looking at him like… a friend. It didn’t make sense.

“Why were you acting so strangely around me at the Leaky?”

Granger looked sheepish. “I’d only seen you in passing at work the last couple years. I don’t think I really understood what Harry was saying - that you were grumpy, but you’re alright. You made us laugh over drinks, and that surprised me. When we went to go pick up the vials, I was honestly nervous because I didn’t think… well, I....” she looked down and swirled her drink again before lifting her glass to her face and downing the last of it.

Draco raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, he walked over to refill her glass and topped his own off before sitting back down on the couch. “It’s weird, isn’t it, to have someone in your head while you’re sleeping?” She looked at him, bewildered, and he shrugged. “Feels like we can just… say anything in here and it’ll be like it never happened tomorrow. We could both blame it on it simply being a dream.”

Granger narrowed her eyes and crossed her free arm under the hand that held her glass. Draco rolled his eyes. “Christ, Granger, I didn’t mean let’s have sex and pretend it never happened. I do that enough when I’m awake. I mean, we can say whatever we want. Who knows if we’ll even remember it? They could have bludgered that bit of magic when making the potion.”

“Ah, so you want to spill secrets like we’re 13 and sitting on the dormitory floor at midnight. Sure, Malfoy. You go first, then.”

He grimaced at her comparison, but didn’t contest it, considering she wasn’t far off. But for him, it had been so long since he’d confided in someone and he didn’t want to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. Draco decided to start off with something light.

“I started reading Muggle romance novels out of sheer boredom a year or so ago and haven’t yet stopped.”

Granger full on grinned, and Draco was momentarily taken aback by the brilliance of her smile. “That is the best thing I’ve ever heard. And from Draco Malfoy! What authors?”

Draco groaned and leaned his head back against the sofa. “I shouldn’t have led with that. I’ve been reading… quite a bit… of Nora Roberts.” Granger snorted a laugh so hard she had to put her drink down. Draco scowled. “Alright, that’s enough. Your turn.”

It took a few moments for her laughter to subside, and she turned thoughtful. “I still buy every new edition of _Hogwarts, a History_ that is released.”

“And that’s a secret?” Granger gasped in mock outrage and Draco chuckled. “I’ve always wanted a pet dog.”

And so they went on, naming small secrets that were relatively superficial but interesting. They needed refills before the game got a little more serious. Granger was the first to go that route.

“Ron and I broke up because I caught him cheating with Lavender Brown.”

Draco put his drink down on the coffee table in front of him. “He did what?”

She nodded, looking thoughtful. “It was a couple of years ago now, but you heard correctly. He was drunk, and tried to blame it on that, but I’d known for a while we just weren’t going to work out. I never told anyone because I didn’t want the dynamic to change between Harry and him. Ron knew he made a mistake, there wasn’t a reason to make it worse.”

Draco was gaping at her. “And you’re still friends with the prick?!”

“To an extent,” she replied. “And I’d appreciate it if you kept between us.”

“My lips are sealed,” Draco said, picking his drink back up and downing it. He was starting to feel very tipsy. Which is probably why he spilled this secret next. “I regret every day that I didn’t do something to stop Bellatrix that day in my living room.”

Granger went stark white and put her drink down. She looked down at her arm where her scar was faint and back up at Draco. He couldn’t hold her eyes for more than a second and looked down at his empty glass, feeling worthless.

“Draco,” she whispered. He looked up, caught off guard by the use of his given name. “There was nothing you could have done. If you had interfered, she would have probably killed me. Or you. I’m alive, and I’m safe, and she’s dead. That’s all that matters to me.”

“How do you… how can you look me in the eyes knowing what I’ve done?” He was almost jealous of the way she could simply move on after something that traumatic. Draco didn’t feel as if his life would ever be normal again.

“It was not easy, coming to terms with the fact that people can be redeemed. But Draco, you were brainwashed as a child. You were never given a chance. Now that you’re out of that environment, you aren’t an absolute wanker, and that makes me think that you really are a better person than you were growing up.”

Draco stared at her, in absolute shock. He didn’t know whether to laugh because she’d said “wanker” or cry because this was the first time he felt like he had a real shot at putting his past behind him. Instead of either, he decided on saying, “I’m genuinely sorry for being a wanker to you for six years, Hermione. You didn’t deserve it.”

Hermione looked like she might cry as well. He needed to get them past this before they started crying together and he lost the last of his dignity. The grandfather clock struck an hour.

“Alright, next secret. You intimidated me when we were children.”

“Oh, I did not!”

Draco raised one eyebrow. “Second year. You successfully brewed a polyjuice potion, which was insane not only because you had to learn how to brew it correctly but also because you had to have stolen out of Snape’s personal storage. That’s insane and brilliant. I’ve been intimidated ever since.”

Hermione blushed scarlet, which Draco found captivating. If younger him could see him now, he would be both jealous and disgusted, which is exactly how he would want his younger self to look at him now. “How on earth did you find that out?”

“When those idiots came back, I asked them what their deal was, running out of the common room like they did. They looked at me like I was insane and said they hadn’t been back since before dinner. I knew then that something was up. When I found out you’d been turned into a cat and were in the infirmary, I put two and two together. I was impressed.” And he truly had been. Half of the Slytherin’s became sick of his constant obsession with Hermione Granger, though back then he had been hell-bent on hating her guts. What an idiot.

“Huh,” Hermione said, smiling. “I really thought we got away without anyone ever finding out about that.” She paused to take a drink, then said, “I found you infuriatingly attractive in school.”

Now _that_ was interesting. He smirked. “I’m a little shocked you found anyone attractive. I didn’t think you had time at Hogwarts to be attracted to anyone.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I did. I was a hormonal teenage girl. And you were the talk amongst a lot of the girls, especially as we got a little older. But you were such a git. It made it less fun for anyone to harbor a secret crush on you.”

“Oh, we’ve graduated from simply “attractive” to “secret crush,” have we?”

Hermione groaned and waved a hand dismissively. “Forget I said anything.”

Draco grinned. “Not a chance.” He took a moment to think about what he wanted to say next. He was genuinely enjoying talking to Hermione. She was captivating, funny, and kind. Draco found he didn’t quite fancy the thought of the dream ending. Glancing at the clock, he realized they’d been sitting there drinking and talking for nearly 4 hours. He didn’t know how much longer they had, or if time was even passing at a normal rate. It certainly didn’t _feel_ like it had been four hours.

He decided to take a risk. Draco sat his glass down on the table and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped between them. He glanced up at her through his lashes and said, “I found you attractive in our later years at Hogwarts, and I still find you attractive now.”

The blush that made its way from her delicate neck to her forehead was very distracting to Draco. He watched the color move over her skin, and found he wanted to follow the trail with his lips. Merlin, he needed to slow down on the whiskey. They’d only just established a friendly rapport; he didn’t need to ruin it by jumping her bones.

She breathlessly replied, “I find you attractive now, too.” So much for “friendly” rapport. The thought of jumping her bones came back to the forefront of his mind. Could they even touch each other in this dream state?

“I’d like to ask you on a date.”

“I’d like to accept.”

Draco could not believe this was happening. This day had truly become something out of an actual dream. What if he wouldn’t remember this in the morning? The thought was unbearable. He didn’t want to go back to his normal routine. Draco would like very much if she was someone he could become friends with, if not more.

Hermione leaned forward and brushed her fingertips on the side of his neck. Draco closed his eyes, a thrill shooting through him at the realization that they could touch one another in here. He pitched forward and captured her lips with his own, moving his lips slowly and languidly against hers. She tasted like whiskey and sunshine.

When he pulled away and opened his eyes, he was back in his bed, staring up at his ceiling. Fuck.

__

The next morning, Draco agonized over what happened in the dream the night before. He had meant every word - he really did want to take Hermione on a date to get to know her even more. Draco wanted to kiss her again. But what would she think? What if for some reason the potion malfunctioned and she didn’t remember?

He walked on autopilot to the apparation point and through the entrance to the Ministry. He didn’t go get coffee from the Atrium, opting instead to walk straight to his office so he could think in peace and quiet. He wasn’t 100% sure where Hermione’s office was, otherwise he’d go find her. But he didn’t want to embarrass her if she didn’t remember.

That quiet was broken when he reached the landing of his floor. “Draco!” a woman shouted from down the hall to his left. Draco spun around and stared disbelieving at Hermione Granger. She started toward him, keeping a clipped, professional pace in her heels, and stopped inches from his chest. “Do you remember?”

He nodded and placed a hand on her cheek, thinking everyone around them looking scandalized could go right to hell. Draco leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, thanking the gods that Fred and George Weasley had needed two lab rats to test out that product.

When she broke away to breathe, he panted, “Have any plans for Valentine’s?”

“I do now,” she said, leaning back up to kiss him again. Yes, Draco would definitely be sending a flower arrangement to the Weasley twins. He nearly chucked to himself - this truly was, as cheesy as it sounded, a dream come true.


End file.
